Honestly, an argument could be made that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has already experienced second, third, fourth, and fifth winds since its landmark 2017 release. The industry-shaking, open-world behemoth has sold over 23 million copies and counting, and folks across the world still speak of it with mystical reverence.
This degree of fame has naturally attracted modders hoping to continue the fantastic work that Nintendo accomplished with Breath of the Wild by adding fanmade quests, challenges, villages — the works. Particularly outstanding is Second Wind, a comprehensive community project that’s less “Here’s some additional, unofficial, DLC” and more “Actually, here’s a full-blown expansion.”
You can get a real taste for the team’s magic courtesy of their project breakdown page. Past accomplishments include full-scale game rebalancing, the addition of the Twilight Princess-inspired Ordon Village, a 13-boss gauntlet with several new areas, and a veritable smorgasbord of new equipment. Now that exceptional dedication continues with a bevy of content from Age of Calamity. Players can combat Calamity tough guy Sooga, fend off mighty mammoths (the above trailer sees Link shoot one of the poor beasts with so many Fire Arrows it’s a miracle it didn’t explode), and sample a fresh selection of deadly weaponry.
Personally, I can’t say I’ve ever dabbled with Zelda mods. But I’m consistently impressed with the kind of creative passion that programmers and dreamers can pump out, especially for Breath of the Wild. My sincere congratulations to the over 50 people (!) who continue to expand Second Wind with the sort of vigor and care we’ve come to expect from the professional stewards of The Legend of Zelda.
